In a continuing effort to improve the quality of shipping fruits, I, the inventor, typically hybridize a large number of peach, nectarine, plum, apricot, and cherry seedlings each year. I also grow a smaller number of open pollinated seeds of each of these fruits. The present invention relates to a new and distinct variety of interspecific tree, which has been denominated varietally as ‘SWEETCOT II’.
During the 1998 blooming season I isolated an entire ‘Red Beaut’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,539) plum tree by covering it with a plastic house. I placed a hive of bees inside the house and brought various bouquets from different apricot trees to hybridize the ‘Red Beaut’ plum tree. Upon the completion of the bloom, the house and bees were removed and the resulting fruit was allowed to ripen. Upon maturity, the fruit was harvested and their seeds were germinated and grown as seedlings on their own root in my greenhouse. Upon reaching dormancy that fall, the seedlings were transplanted to a cultivated area of my experimental orchard near Le Grand, Calif. in Merced County (San Joaquin Valley). The group of seedlings was labeled “House 10”. During the 2002 evaluation season, I selected the present variety as a single tree from the group of seedlings described above. The present variety exhibited several indications that it was itself an interspecific, such as fruit with pubescent skin and orange yellow flesh. Subsequent to origination of the present interspecific tree, I asexually reproduced it by budding and grafting in the experimental orchard described above, and such reproduction of plant and fruit characteristics were true to the original plant in all respects. The reproduction of the variety included the use of ‘Nemaguard’ (unpatented) rootstock upon which the present variety was compatible and true to type.
The present variety is similar to its seed parent, ‘Red Beaut’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 2,539) plum, by being self-unfruitful and by producing fruit that is globose in shape, firm in texture, full red in skin color, and matures in late May, but is very distinguished therefrom by having apricot type leaves and by producing fruit that has pubescent skin, that is orange yellow in flesh color, and that is much sweeter in flavor.
The present variety is similar to ‘Sweetcot’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 15,652) interspecific tree by being self-unfruitful, by having apricot type leaves and blossoms, by producing very little pollen and by producing fruit that is globose in shape, orange yellow in flesh color, firm in texture, pubescent in skin surface, and quite juicy, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is red in skin color instead of dark purple and that matures about thirty days earlier.
The present variety is most similar to ‘Royal Velvet’ (U.S. Plant Pat. No. 7,431) Plum-apricot hybrid tree by being self-unfruitful, by having apricot type leaves, by producing very little pollen, and by producing fruit that ripens in the early season and that is globose in shape, orange yellow in flesh color, full red in skin color, pubescent in skin surface, and quite juicy, but is distinguished therefrom by producing fruit that is larger in size, firmer in texture, freestone instead of clingstone, and that has a bitter tasting kernel instead of sweet.